The present invention is generally directed to controlling exterior vehicle lights of a motor vehicle and, more specifically, to controlling exterior vehicle lights of a motor vehicle so as to reduce glare to occupants of other motor vehicles and/or pedestrians, as well as providing optimal lighting for various roads/environmental conditions.
Currently, rearview mirror glare from trailing vehicles is a significant safety and nuisance concern, while driving at night. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks, which generally have headlamps mounted much higher than passenger vehicles, may provide a much higher level of rearview glare than typical passenger cars. This glare may be especially disruptive in busy traffic situations where an SUV or truck is following a small passenger car. As a result of the glare experienced by drivers of passenger cars, when closely followed by an SUV or truck, various solutions, such as reducing the mounting height limit of headlamps, have been proposed to help alleviate this problem. Unfortunately, solutions such as reducing the mounting height limit of an SUV or truck's headlamps may generally require an objectionable change to the front end styling of the SUV or truck. Additionally, the physical construction of large SUVs and trucks may make it impossible to reduce the mounting height significantly.
Thus, what is needed is a technique for reducing the glare caused by low-beam headlamps of SUVs and trucks that does not involve lowering the mounting height of low-beam headlamps of the SUV/truck. Further, it would be desirable for the technique to function with both leading and on-coming vehicles and be applicable to all vehicle types, roads and environmental conditions.